NEW 2026 HARRY BOSCH! – THE HOLLOW by MICHAEL CONNELLY
We have already had one very good book by Michael Connelly this year, Ironwood, and now, just in time for Christmas, we have a new Harry Bosch novel, The Hollow (Allen & Unwin, 27 October 2026).
The main story at the centre of The Hollow harks back to Bosch’s childhood. When he was eleven years old, Bosch’s mother was murdered and he became a ward of the state. For a time he was housed in the MacLaren Children’s Center (sic), a notorious facility where abuse was rampant. Decades after its closure, a massive class action lawsuit has resulted in a multibillion-dollar settlement for former residents. But when Bosch’s half-brother, defence attorney Mickey Haller, brings him word that he is entitled to $400,000, Bosch says he doesn’t want the money. He wants justice.
News of the settlement awakens his memories of a place he had hoped never to revisit, and a boy named Chops, a fellow inmate who wound up dead. Chops’ body was found in a hidden space under a staircase that the staff used to discipline their charges. The kids knew it only as “the hollow.” But Chops’ death was covered up and never solved. Now Bosch knows he must reopen the investigation and learn the truth, even if the killer is long dead. As Bosch digs into the files, he picks up the trail of a predator who not only survived, but went on to a life of vicious crime.
The Hollow is a busy book. It opens with Bosch involved in an interesting cold crime case with Renée Ballard, and when he launches his own old crime investigation into Chops’ murder, he finds himself caught up in a current police operation that potentially has widespread, and deadly, ramifications. With his usual skill, Connelly keeps the different threads bubbling along nicely, and, despite the various deviations, the story moves steadily towards its surprising conclusion.
For an old man Bosch is in decent shape, and The Hollow has a good share of action and suspense, all of which is credible. Bosch’s sense of justice is as strong as ever, and his reflections on recent events and issues are pointed and relevant.
The Hollow is a very enjoyable novel that invites prolonged reading over a couple of sessions, especially as the pace picks up towards the end. There are good twists and surprises, one of which hits with a thud, and the plotting is sharp and clever. Other characters from Connelly’s oeuvre also make appearances of varying length, particularly his daughter Maddie, Renée Ballard and Mickey ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Haller, who now drives an electric car: “‘The Lincoln’s not a good look for a public interest lawyer.'” There is probably an issue around how many of these ‘old cases that still haunt him’ that Bosch and Connelly can dig up, but most readers will be too busy happily turning the pages to care.
In all, The Hollow is a very good read, and, as with The Waiting, Connelly provides an interesting solution to a real life historical mystery, this time The Wonderland Massacre. A great Christmas present for the crime reader in your family, or for yourself!